Device for launching lifeboats



H. ELSEN.

' DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING LIFEBOATS. APPLICATION r1150 JULY 14. 1920.

1,380,194. Patented May31, 1921.

n ve 76 7 Haas/{fills 612/.

HUBERT ELSEN, 0F ANTXVERP, BELGIUM.

DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING LIFEBOA'IS. l i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Application filed July 14, 1920. Serial No. 396,103.

To (all whom it may concern Be it known that I, l'luisnn'r ELSEN, a subject of the King of Belgium, residing at Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Launching Lifeboats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device adapted to be applied to life-boats with aview'of preventing the drag of the hull of the lifeboat against the hull of the vessel and also the shocks which mi launching of the life-boat.

My invention makes use, like other similar devices of rollers or protecting buoys or other similar elements acting as protectors by being interposed between the hull of the life-boat and the hull of the vessel at the moment of launching.

One object of my invention is to secure a device of this kind absolutely independent from. the hull of the life-boat.

A further object consists in greatly simplifying the construction so as to reduce the costs of manufacture and a still further object consists in so arranging and combining the device so as to avoid any alteration whatever of the construction of the lifeboats as generally used to which the device is intended to be applied.

lVith these objects in View, my invention essentially consists in special arrangements and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings:

Figure 1 shows a device constructed according to the invention as applied to a lifeboat.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device removed from the life-boat.

Figs. 3 and 4 show respectively in front elevation and side view the protecting elements making part of the device.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the device essentially consists of a kind of flexible belt 1 such as a band of canvas, leather, flexible metal or any other suitable material partly surrounding the life-boat 2. This flexible belt is provided with rollers 3 or protecting buoys intended to facilitate the rolling over the hull of the vessel or to absorb the shocks against said hull.

In the example shown, the belt is supposed to be composed of a band of canvas ght arise during the (Fig. 2) on which are secured, by means of rivets. metal supports Al in which rotate protecting buoys or elastic rollers 3 on axles5 fixed in any suitable manner in the supports 4. The band 1 is provided at one end with hooks 6 and at the other with eyelets 7 into which pass cords 8. The device thus formed is secured to the planking of the boat. The hooks 6 are placed on the edge of the boat on one side and the canvas band is applied to hull outside the latter, passing under the keel; the extension of the band, formed by cords 8 is brought back over the opposite edge to be attached to tappets 9 (Fig. 1).

By pulling the cords 8, the canvas band comes into close contact with the wall of the boat and is tightened against the outside planking. The canvas band can obviously be lined with a suitable insulating material, cork for instance. The supports 4; have preferably a lower curved surface so as to embrace as exactly as possible the curve of the hull of the boat.

After the launching of the boat the device can easily be detached after having released the cords 8 and lifted the hooks 6 from the edge of the life-boat.

In practice two protecting devices of this construction are preferably placed at a certain distance from each other on the same boat; in these conditions the launching can be effected without the hull of the boat coming into contact with the sides of the ship.

It will be observed that such a device possesses to a high degree the feature of detachability, which constitutes one of the essential conditions to be realized in devices of this kind, by reasonof the necessity for relieving the boat of any accessory member capable of interfering with the navigation as soon as the launching is effected. Further it presents the special advantage of not necessitating any alteration either of the boat proper or of the davits or other members, serving to support the boat on board the ship.

The number of rollers can obviously be varied, a single roller would be sufficient to secure protection against the shocks but in practice several rollers are preferably used so as to render possible the rolling of the boat along the hull of the ship, thus allowing the launching of the boat even if the ship has aconsiderable inclination. The

rollers also could be carried by supports of any kind jointed together by simple cords.

hat I claim is: 1. In a device of the kind described in combination protecting members, flexible attaching means holding said members together and means whereby said attaching means can be secured to a boat.

2. In a device of the kind described in combination protecting rollers, supports for said rollers, a flexible belt assembling said supports and means for removably securing said flexible belt to a boat.

3. In a device of the kind described in combination friction protecting rollers, a support for each of said rollers, a flexible member connecting said supports to each other and means whereby said flexible member can be removably secured to a boat.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HUBERT ELSEN.

Witnesses G. DEHERsY, M. BLAIR-E. 

